Morning:
8°c
Officers tell of dead soldiers' bravery
13 Jul 2009Army officers paid tribute to the group of British soldiers killed in a blast in Afghanistan while trying to rescue troops injured in an earlier explosion.
Five soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles lost their lives near Sangin, Helmand Province on Friday.
They were named by the Ministry of Defence as Corporal Jonathan Horne, 28; Rifleman William Aldridge, 18; Rifleman James Backhouse, 18; Rifleman Joseph Murphy, 18; and Rifleman Daniel Simpson, 20.
Rifleman Aldridge, from Bromyard, Herefordshire, was attempting to reach casualties from the first explosion - in which he had been wounded - when he was killed by an improvised explosive device.
The first blast also injured Major Alistair Field, Officer Commanding C Company, who praised the teenage soldier's actions.
He said: "We were both injured and in shock together but he comforted me with his patience and kind words.
"Sadly his life was snatched by another explosion on the way back to the FOB.
"Another new talent whose potential will tragically never be known."
Cpl Horne, a married father of two from Walsall, West Midlands, was also trying to save his comrades' lives when the second explosion hit.
"My lasting memory is seeing him in action helping the wounded, calmly controlling the situation until tragically his young life was ended by the evil insurgents," said Major Field.
In moving tributes, officers detailed the moment Rifleman Murphy, of Castle Bromwich, West Midlands, died with his injured friend Rifleman Simpson in his arms.
Captain Edward Poynter, Operations Officer C Company 2 Rifles, said: "Rifleman Murphy was carrying his close friend and battle-buddy, Rifleman Simpson, to safety after he had been wounded in the first explosion when a second device initiated and killed them both instantly.
"Rifleman Murphy gave his life while trying to save that of his fellow Rifleman."
Meanwhile, Rifleman Backhouse, of Castleford, Yorkshire, was singled out for his bravery.
The soldier, who cleared the route ahead for his comrades to follow, "died doing the job he loved", the tributes said.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Thomson, commanding officer of the 2 Rifles Battle Group, said it had been a "grim day" but he added: "We can celebrate what they were and what they achieved. We are so very proud of them."
